A face-lift for gateway to Hyannis

Thursday

Feb 26, 2009 at 9:10 AM

It seems that there are two very different schools of thought with respect to the proposed Hilton Garden Inn in Hyannis, and while the viewpoints of those opposed to the project seem to have been fully represented in the news, I don't believe the potential benefits have been given equal time.

STUART BORNSTEIN

It seems that there are two very different schools of thought with respect to the proposed Hilton Garden Inn in Hyannis, and while the viewpoints of those opposed to the project seem to have been fully represented in the news, I don't believe the potential benefits have been given equal time.

The proposed site, at the intersection of Route 28 and Spring Street, is in dire need of a face-lift. As the gateway to Hyannis, the area does not provide an impression in keeping with the image the town of Barnstable and its planning board are trying to create. The planned expansions of the Barnstable Municipal Airport and the new community center are exciting and much-needed improvements. The Transportation center is already a "hub" for the Hyannis area and is expected to take on an expanded role in the future. A new, upscale, "green" hotel in this gateway area would be a natural fit for the upgrading and progression of the region.

On a side note, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission have determined that the proposed five-story hotel on this site poses no threat of hazard to air traffic.

The proposed hotel will create 200 construction jobs for more than a year, as well as 40 to 50 year-round permanent jobs. It will contribute much-needed funds to traffic improvement in the area and professional dense landscaping not only on the site, but across the street along the vacant Mildred's site up to the Airport Rotary. It will generate income to the town via property and personal property tax revenue, as well as increased revenues for our local area attractions, restaurants and shopping, help improve and beautify the area and create much-needed tax dollars (via the 4.7 percent city and town occupancy tax).

The Cape Cod Commission's traffic engineer has provided flawed testimony, which has resulted in unfair negative perception of this project. We hired Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc., an independent traffic engineering firm, to perform another traffic study, which included data and statistics evidencing that the additional traffic impact of this project is minimal.

Unfortunately, the first-class bus tours don't currently consider Hyannis because of our lack of first-class hotels. When we renovated the Holiday Inn Hyannis, we took it down to the studs and even won awards. That and our other hotel, the Radisson, are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in Hyannis, but we still cannot attract certain groups of travelers because we lack the product they expect.

All the hotels in this town are over 45 years old. In this industry, after 25 years hotels are deemed obsolete, and the buildings are typically demolished for new facilities. We are not keeping up!

With tourism revenue being so crucial to the future of Hyannis, it is very surprising that it has not kept up with the competition. Plymouth is currently luring potential tourists away from the Cape, with six new hotels and more proposed. Newport also is our competition, and it has several new hotels, and several proposed. There is no other developer on the Cape that I am aware of who is willing and able to make a multimillion-dollar investment in Hyannis at this time by constructing a high-end "green" hotel.

I urge everyone to take a ride from Exit 7 off the Mid-Cape Highway to Willow Street, onto Route 28 and up to the Airport Rotary. Take a good look around at our existing gateway and imagine what you would think if you were a first-time tourist to Hyannis. A rather bleak and dismal first impression!